Record punching mechanism



Oct. 4, 1966 L. M. SCHMIDT RECQRD PUNCHING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 5, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 5, 1964 516W"? WA United States Patent 3,276,681 RECORD PUNCHING MECHANISM Ludwig Michael Schmidt, Bad Vilbel, Germany, assignor to Sperry Rand Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corpo- The invention hereinafter described and claimed has to do with high speed punching mechanisms for punching record media such as cards or tape.

The rapid and accurate conversion of electronically derived information to punched card or tape is severely curtailed by the limitations of available mechanical mechanisms. Progress has been made toward increasing the speed of prior punching mechanisms to meet the demands of associated electronic circuits, but known punching devices still have not met the requirements. Generally this failure of the prior art punches has resulted from their use of complex linkages and driving means.

Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved punching mechanism overcoming the limitations of the prior art punches in a manner rendering it capable of operating at a considerable increase in operating speed over the known punches.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a high speed punch capable of high density assembly whereby. record media may be punched with closely spaced holes in columns or rows.

Another object is to provide a record punching mechanism capable of being manufactured of light weight materials by stamping or moulding, thus resulting in a considerable savings in cost.

In accordance with the above objects and first briefly described, the invention comprises a high speed punch mechanism wherein the punches are actuated by a rotating eccentric or cam shaft through interposers. One end of each interposer is either connected to or abutting a punch, while its other end is held in a first retracted position outside the range or orbit of the rotating cam shaft. Punching is effected by bringing the other end of the interposer into a second or advanced position wherein the cam shaft is effective through the interposer to move the punch through a record transporting passage to punch a hole in the record media, after which the interposers and punches are returned to their first positions.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be apparent from the following description as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view through the punching mechanism showing a punch with its interposer in the first or retracted inoperative position;

FIGURE 2 is similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the punch with the interposer in its second or advanced operative position;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are views similar to FIGURE 2 but showing successive operative conditions of the punch; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the punch.

With reference now to the details of the drawings and first to FIGURES 14, it is seen that this embodiment of the invention comprises a record media passage 10, hereinafter designated card passage, formed by plates 11 and 12. A suitable card feeding mechanism (not shown) feeds cards through the card passage into position for punching.

Plate 12 is provided with guide apertures or channels through which rod like punches 13 move during a punch- 3,276,681 Patented Oct. 4, 1966 ice ing operation. The end portion of the punch pointing towards the card passage 10 is developed into a cutting edgeand co-operates with the die or punch plate 11 located above the punch channels to produce a card hole.

The lower end portion 14 of punch 13 is twisted such that it may be pivotally connected to the upper end of the interposer 16 by means of a pin or screw 15, or in any other suitable manner. About in the middle of the length of the interposer, one end of a coupling member or link 25 is hinged by means of a screw or a rivet 26. The other end of the coupling member 25 is hinged to the armature 29 of the magnet 28 which is held in place by the magnet support 32 carried by the frame (not shown) of the punch mechanism.

The armature 29 is pivotally fastened at point 30 in conventional manner on a plate, not shown. It may, of

course, just as well be mounted on the magnet support and move within a so-called comb-shaped guide, as is commonly used.

The lower end portion 17 of the interposer is enlarged and provided with a kidney-shaped opening 18 into which protrudes the cam-shaped projecting part 19 which extends through the kidney-shaped opening 18 of all the interposers 16 of the punch station. In the first, or retracted position of the interposer 16, cam shaft 20 can freely rotate on its fulcrum 21 (FIGURE 1).

The lower end portion 17 of the interposer 16 rests in bed 22, the inner surfaces of its side portions 23 and 24 being developed according to the outer circumference of the lower end portion 17 of the interposer. As shown in FIGURE 1, interposer 16 is held in its first position by a spring 34, which has one end fastened to the casing of the frame and its other end 35 to the interposer 16. The interposer 16 shown in the embodiment of FIG- URES 1 through 4, is typical of the set-up of a complete punch station including a plurality of punch assemblies arranged in a row and all driven by the cam shaft 20. Of course the invention is not restricted to this arrangement. It will be noted that the cam shaft is about in alignment with the axes of the punches but with its axis transverse to the punch axis whereby punching force through the interposers is substantially in a straight line.

In its operation, by excitation of magnet 28, the interposer 16 is brought into the advanced or operative position, shown in FIGURES 24 through the armature 29 and coupling member 25. As shown in FIGURE 3, the eccentric shaft 20, during its upward movement, cont-acts the cam-shaped projecting part 19 within opening 18 of the interposer 16 and presses the latter, together with the punch 13, into and through the card passage 33 so that a hole is punched into the card (not shown) being transported through the card passage. During the further course of its rotation the eccentric shaft 20 leaves the cam-shaped projecting part 19 within opening 18 after the drop of the magnet 28 and, as shown in FIG- URE 2, pulls the interposer 16 downwardly, and punch 13 out of the card passage. Bed 22 limits the movement of interposer 16 in a first position with its side portion 23 and in a second position with its side portion 24, therewith making an exact guidance of the interposers 16 possible. During the shifting of the interposer from one position into the other its lower surface moves along the inside surface of bed 22 (FIGURES 1 through 3).

In FIGURE 5 showing the second embodiment of the invention, interposers 63 are separated by support plates 70, though not connected to them. The plates serve to maintain the exact spacing between interposers and to guide them during their operation. The number of support plates 70 in one punch station depends on the method of operation. For column by column punching it may be equipped with 12 plates, and for row by row punching with 80.

According to the second embodiment, punches 59 move with their upper ends in the punch guide plate 57 and with their lower end in the inverted U-shaped punch block 62. Together with the punches 59 the punch guide 57 and the punch block 62 form one unit. A spring 60 is fitted on each punch 59 with its upper end against the punch guide 57 and its lower end against shoulder 61 fixed to punch 59 in a convenient manner so that spring 60 urges the punch to its retracted position. The two arms of punch block 62 pointing downwards are provided with combshaped recesses to hold support plates 70.

Extending through holes in plates 70 are two shafts 65 and 69 common to all interposers 63 of the punch station. Since the punches 59 are returned to their retracted position by springs 60 after each punching operation, the kidney-shaped opening within the interposers of the first embodiment is not required in this embodiment. Therefore, interposers 63 are only provided with an archlike cutting 73 with which the eccentric shaft 72 can engage. The movement of the interposers between their advanced and retracted positions corresponds to the principle according to the invention described in the first embodiment.

At their upper end the interposers 63- are provided with an elongated hole 64 through which the shaft 65 extends. The lower portion of interposers 63 is enlarged and provided with an aperture 71 which allows the lower end of the interposer to shift not only up and down, but back and forth as well on shaft 69. The eccentric shaft 72 extends through the apertures 96 of all support plates 70 and may be bedded in the side walls (not shown) of the punch station.

As already described in connection with the first embodiment of the present invention, also with the second embodiment (FIGURE the interposers 63 are kept in a first retracted inoperative position 77 (broken line FIG- URE 5) by a spring 75 one end of which is fastened to the support plate 70 by means of a pin 76 or in another convenient manner. The other end of the spring is connected to the interposer 63, thus to urge the interposer to its retracted position.

About in the middle of each interposer 63 a coupling member 67 is fitted or hinged by a pin 68. The other end of coupling member 67 bears a pin 78 on which the end of armature 79 is fitted. The armature belongs to magnet 80 which is located in a support member 81 secured to the side walls of the mechanism. Armature 79 of magnet 80 is borne by armature support 88, the right hand end of which is developed into a comb-like shape and the lower end portion 90 of which is bent downwards. The end 87 of armature 79 projects over armature support 8 8 so that the bent down end 90' of the support and the projecting end 87 of the armature are approximately on the same level. The two ends are interconnected by means of a spring 89 which tends to attract the two ends, thereby urging armature 79 away from pole piece 82 whereby the effect of spring 75, attached to support plate 70, is supplemented. The attracting power of magnet 80 is chosen such that in excited condition it attracts its armature 79 against the efiect of the two springs 75 and 89, thereby bringing the interposer 63, through coupling member 67, into its second or extended operative position. Springs 75 and 89 serve to accelerate the return of the interposer to its initial position.

The armature support 88 and the comb-shaped spacing portion 83 as well, by which the armature 79 is guided, may be fastened to sides 85, 86 of magnet support 81, by means of screws 91. The terminal strip 92 for the current supply 93 is fastened at the back wall of the magnet support.

The second embodiment of the invention shows a punch station constructed of individual support plates 70 having their upper ends fitted into comb-shaped recesses of punch block 62, and their lower end fitted into the recesses of plate mount 84. As FIGURE 5 shows, it may be of advantage with a punch station constructed of support 4 plates to place the magnets 80, 94 in two rows above each other, thus to afford close spacing of the punches.

Since the eccentric shaft 72 extends through the width of the punch station with its axis crossing the axes of the punches, the method of operation of the punch station described in the second embodiment corresponds substantially to the method of operation of the punch station in the first embodiment. The eccentric shaft 72 rotates freely within the aperture 96 of support plates 70. The interposers 63 are maintained in their first or retracted position by springs 75, 89. By excitation of magnet its armature 79 is attracted and through coupling member 67 the selected interposers 63 are brought into their second or advanced operative positions. While the interposer is in this position, eccentric shaft 72 engages the arch-shaped portion 73 during its rotation in the direction of arrow 74, and during further rotational movement presses the interposer 63 upwards. The interposer moves on shafts 65, 69 and presses its upper end against the lower end of punch 59 projecting from U-shaped punch block 62. The end portions of both legs of the block are provided with comb-shaped recesses and the punches 59 are located in their center portion so that their lower ends project between the two side legs. Interposers 63 shift the selected punches 59 upwardly against the effect of springs 60 and presses the punches into the punch cards in card passage 55. Upon drop-out of magnets 80 the interposers return immediately to their first positions, and the eccentric shaft can again rotate freely in apertures 96 of support plate 70. The period of drop-out of the magnet is of no importance with the high speed punch according to the invention since the return of the intershaft, and according to the second embodiment by means of spring power.

With the present invention a high speed punch mechanism is contemplated wherein most of the single components of which may be manufactured by light weight stampings and or moldings. The inventionis not restricted to the embodiments shown and a great number of variations can be applied without exceeding the scope of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A high speed punch comprising: means forming a record media passageway; a punch having its punching end movable between a retracted inoperative position on one side of said passageway to an extended position on the other side of said passageway, thereby to effect a punching operation; a continuously rotating cam shaft;

tion thus to effect the punching operation.

2. A punch according to claim 1 wherein: said means for moving the interposer comprises a solenoid having an armature, and means connecting the armature to said interposer; and said means for returning said interposer and said punch to their retracted inoperative position comprises: a cam surface formed by the bottom edge of said aperture; and a spring biasing said interposer away from said shaft.

3. A punch according to claim 2 and further including: a trough shaped bed in which the said other end of said interposer is guided during a punching operation.

4. A high speed punch comprising: means forming a record media passageway; a punch having its punching end movable between a retracted inoperative position on one side of said passageway to an extended position on the other side of said passageway, thereby to effect a punching operation; a continuously rotating cam shaft; an interposer mounted between said punch and said cam shaft with one end of the interposer abutting said punch, and its other end normally held in a retracted inoperative position just out of the range of rotation of said cam shaft; means for moving the said other end of the interposer to an advanced operative position within the range of rotation of said cam shaft thereby causing the interposer to move the punch through a punching operation; said other end of said interposer is arcuately shaped with one portion providing means for stopping said interposer in its advanced position by contact with said cam shaft, and another portion extending into the path of rotation of said cam shaft whereby the interposer is moved to effect a punching operation and means for returning said interposer and said punch to their retracted inoperative positions.

5. High speed punching mechanism according to claim 4, and further including: means pivotally mounting said interposer at said one end in a manner whereby its other end is entitled to move between its advanced and retracted positions without moving said one end from its abutting relationship with said punch, yet permitting interposer movement of said punch through its punching operation.

6. A punch according to claim 5 and further including: means limiting the pivotal movement of said interposer to predetermined advanced and retracted positions wherein said cam shaft is effective and ineffective respectively to cause a punching operation.

7. A high speed punching mechanism comprising: a pair of closely separated plates forming a narrow passageway through which record media is transported for punching; a plurality of punches movable from a retracted position with their punching ends in guide ways in one of said plates to an advanced position extending through said passageway and into dies in the other of said plates, thereby to effect a punching operation on a record medium in said passageway; means for returning said punches to their retracted positions; a continuously rotating camshaft; an elongated interposer between each of said punches and said cam shaft; means mounting said interposers whereby each has one end engaged with the other end of its respective punch and its other end adjacent said cam shaft; means normally holding the other ends of said interposers in retracted positions out of the orbit of rotation of said cam shaft; the said other ends of said interposers having an arcuate shape providing a stop portion and an abutment; selective means for moving selected ones of said interposers from their retracted positions to advanced positions determined by contact of its stop portion with said shaft and in which position said abutment is within the said orbit of rotation of said cam shaft whereby said interposers are moved against the other ends of said punches to effect a punching operation thereof; and means to return said interposers to their retracted positions after the punching operations whereby said punches are returned to their retracted positions by the punch returning means.

8. A punch according to claim 7 wherein: said interposer mounting means comprises a pair of rods, including a first rod extending through a slotted aperture in each of said interposers adjacent their said one ends and a second rod extending through a second aperture in each of said interposers adjacent their said other ends, both apertures being shaped to permit the pivotal and punching movements of the interposers; said second aperture being shaped to limit the movement of the interposers to their retracted positions.

9. A punch according to claim 8 wherein: said punches are rod-like elements arranged in a row parallel with each other; and said cam shaft and said first and second rods are aligned with said punches with their axes transverse to the axes of the punches; whereby the punch operating force of said cam shaft is applied to said punches in a substantially straight line along their axes when the interposers are in their advanced operative positions.

10. A punch according to claim 9, and further including; plates separating said interposers one from another and upon which said interposers slide during their operative movements; and means fixing said plates between said interposers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,016,862 2/1912 White 234-119 X 3,169,697 2/1965 Schmidt 234-119 3,181,783 5/1965 Rosen 234-119 WILLIAM S. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A HIGH SPEED PUNCH COMPRISING: MEANS FORMING A RECORD MEDIA PASSAGEWAY; A PUNCH HAVING ITS PUNCHING END MOVABLE BETWEEN A RETRACTED INOPERATIVE POSITION ON ONE SIDE OF SAID PASSAGEWAY TO AN EXTENDED POSITION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID PASSAGEWAY, THEREBY TO EFFECT A PUNCHING OPERATION; A CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING CAM SHAFT; AN INTERPOSER MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID PUNCH AND SAID CAM SHAFT WITH ONE END OF THE INTERPOSER ABUTTING SAID PUNCH, AND ITS OTHER END NORMALLY HELD IN A RETRACTED INOPERATIVE POSITION JUST OUT OF THE RANGE OF ROTATION OF SAID CAM SHAFT, MEANS FOR MOVING THE SAID OTHER END OF THE INTERPOSER TO AN ADVANCED OPERATIVE POSITION WITHIN THE RANGE OF ROTATION OF SAID CAM SHAFT THEREBY CAUSING THE INTERPOSER TO MOVE THE PUNCH THROUGH A PUNCHING OPERATION; MEANS FOR RETURNING SAID INTERPOSER AND SAID PUNCH TO THEIR RETRACTED INOPERATIVE POSITIONS AND ABUTMENT MEANS AT THE SAID OTHER END OF SAID INTERPOSER AND EXTENDING INTO ONE AREA OF AN APERTURE PROVIDED AT THT SAID OTHER END; AND WHEREIN SAID CAM SHAFT EXTENDS THROUGH SAID APERTURE WHICH IS OF SUFFICIENT SIZE IN ANOTHER AREA TO PERMIT FREE ROTATION OF SAID ECCENTRIC SHAFT WHEN SAID INTERPOSER IS IN ITS RETRACTED POSITION; AND WHEREIN SAID ABUTMENT MEANS IS MOVED INTO THE PATH OF ROTATION OF SAID CAM SHAFT WHEN THE INTERPOSER IS MOVED TO ITS ADVANCED POSITION THUS TO EFFECT THE PUNCHING OPERATION. 